The myth about women in science

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Photos:Famous women in history

The historical analogs of brilliant women – Emmy Noether, right, is featured in the March 23, 2015 Google doodle in commemoration of what would be her 133rd birthday. The math wizard came up with an algebraic theorem that connected two fundamental laws of physics. Noether's Theory is seen by some to be as important as Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. In fact, Einstein considered Noether to be the most significant female mathematician.

Harvard professor Lisa Randall, left, researches theoretical particles and cosmology. By connecting the ideas about theoretical particles to the questions about the universe that physicists have yet to answer, she has developed new understanding about dark matter and extra dimensions in space.

Click through the gallery for more women pioneers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and their modern counterparts.

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Photos:Famous women in history

The historical analogs of brilliant women – Grace Murray Hopper, an American computer scientist and U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (right), created Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL.) She also coined the term "debugging" in reference to fixing a computer.

Hopper paved the way for other females in computer science, including University of California at Berkeley Professor Katherine Yelick. She is the co-author of two books and more than 100 technical papers on parallel languages, compilers, algorithms, libraries, architecture, and storage. She led the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center from 2008 to 2012 -- a high-performance computing facility that helps scientists run tests. One of the computers in the facility is named after Hopper.

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Photos:Famous women in history

The historical analogs of brilliant women – The work of solar astronomer Mitzi Adams, left, has improved our understanding of the sun's turbulent behavior. Since joining NASA in 1988 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, she has conducted research for a variety of solar missions. She carries on the tradition of discovery that Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941) began in the late 1800s. Cannon was known as the "census taker in the sky," and developed a stellar classification system that became the standard of the Harvard Observatory.

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Photos:Famous women in history

The historical analogs of brilliant women – Sara Seager, left, can measure outer space. An astrophysicist and planetary scientist at MIT, her research led, in part, to the first detection of light emitted by an exoplanet, a planet outside our solar system. She now focuses on characterizing all aspects of exoplanets, from theoretical models of their atmospheres to detecting the growth of a constellation. She continues the kind of work astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt did. Leavitt, right, discovered a relationship between the brightness and fluctuation of stars, as seen from Earth, that became the basis of astronomers' ability to measure the distance between Earth and other galaxies.

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Photos:Famous women in history

The historical analogs of brilliant women – American physician and former NASA astronaut Mae Carol Jemison, left, became the first black woman to travel in space in 1992. As an astronaut, Jemison served as a liaison between the astronaut corps and launch operations at Kennedy Space Center, according to her biography. She also flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in the first joint mission with the Japanese Space Agency. Fellow astronaut Sally Ride, right, helped pave the way for Jemison's career: In 1983, she flew to space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, becoming the first American woman (and, at 32, the youngest American) to enter space. She flew on Challenger again in 1984 and later was the only person to serve on both panels that investigated the nation's space shuttle disasters in 1986 and 2003. Ride died in December 2012.

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The historical analogs of brilliant women – Shafi Goldwasser, left, is one of the world's leading cryptology and complexity theory experts. A professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT as well as a professor of mathematical sciences for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, her work has allowed secure information to be sent over the Internet. Ada Byron Lovelace, right, helped make Goldwasser's research possible by conceiving the first algorithm that could be processed by a machine. Lovelace is largely seen as the world's first computer programmer.

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The historical analogs of brilliant women – Nuclear chemist Darleane Hoffman, left, specializes in heavy elements like plutonium. She was part of a team that focused on confirming the discovery of Seaborgium, element 106. Her research has revealed new aspects of fission and atomic processes, and she was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1997. The discoveries of Marie Curie (1867-1934) were similarly focused: Her observations of radiation suggested a relationship between radioactivity and the heavy elements of the periodic table. Curie's painstaking research with her husband, Pierre, culminated in the isolation of two new, heavy elements -- polonium, which they named for Marie's homeland, and the naturally glowing radium.

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The historical analogs of brilliant women – Meave Leakey, zoologist and long-time head of the Tigoni Primate Research Centre's Division of Paleontology, is part of the Leaky scientist dynasty in Kenya. Her family has been responsible for groundbreaking work in the discovery of early human fossils and the concept of human evolution. Leakey carries on the grand tradition of Mary Anning, who has been called "the greatest fossilist the world ever knew." She grew up in Great Britain's Lyme Regis, a shoreline full of Jurassic fossils. Anning and her family found the first ichthyosaur fossil specimen and Anning is credited with finding the first plesiosaurus, the first pterodactylus macronyx in Britain and the squaloraja fish fossil.

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The historical analogs of brilliant women – Wings Women of Discovery award winner Alexandra Morton knows more about orca and dolphin migration and communication than just about anyone else in the world. She helped create the first photo catalog of dolphins. She now fights to protect wild salmon populations from the impact of farm fishing. Her accomplishments are widely acknowledged, something that did not come as easily for Rosa Smith Eigenmann, right, the first female Ichthyologist "of any accomplishments," according to marine biologist Carl L. Hubbs. Eigenmann discovered the blind goby fish in San Diego as a young woman. She raised five children and managed to formally describe 150 species of fish with her husband. She ended her career after his death in 1927.

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The historical analogs of brilliant women – Biological researcher Elizabeth Blackburn was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering (along with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak) how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. Recognition of the importance of her discoveries was something that fellow scientist Rosalind Franklin did not achieve, even though there are many who believe that without Franklin, James Watson and Francis Crick would not have formed their 1953 hypothesis regarding the structure of DNA. The British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA, which led to the discovery of the DNA double helix.

Story highlights

Their new research shows that female scientists have a significantly higher chance of being interviewed and hired than men

They interpret findings: Anti-female bias in academic hiring has ended and now is a good time for young women to seek science jobs

Wendy M. Williams is a psychologist and professor of human development at Cornell University, where she founded and co-directs the Cornell Institute for Women in Science. Stephen J. Ceci is the Helen L. Carr professor of developmental psychology at Cornell. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors.

(CNN)The prevailing wisdom is that sexist hiring in academic science roadblocks women's careers before they even start. The American Association of University Professors and blue-ribbon commissions attest to this. An influential report by the National Academy of Sciences in 2006 concluded that "on the average, people are less likely to hire a woman than a man with identical qualifications," and noted that scientists and engineers "are not exempt."

Wendy M. Williams

Stephen J. Ceci

Many female graduate students worry that hiring bias is inevitable. A walk through the science departments of any college or university could convince us that the scarcity of female faculty (20% or less) in fields like engineering, computer science, physics, economics and mathematics must reflect sexism in hiring.

But the facts tell a different story. National hiring audits, some dating back to the 1980s, reveal that female scientists have had a significantly higher chance of being interviewed and hired than men. Although women were less likely to apply for jobs, if they did apply, their chances of getting the job were usually better. The typical explanation for this seeming contradiction has been that the women who survived the intense sexism and winnowing process of graduate training were unusually talented, and thus deserved to be hired at a higher rate than men.

But is there evidence for this assertion?

When we searched the literature, we could not find one empirical study of sexism in faculty hiring using actual faculty members as evaluators and focusing on fields in which women are most underrepresented. So we did the study ourselves (published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), testing 873 faculty members at 371 institutions in 50 states. To tease out sex bias, we created fictional candidate profiles identical in every respect except for sex, and asked faculty to rank these candidates for a tenure-track job.

This picture of teenager Zoe at the National Flight Academy was submitted by her grandmother Janie Lambert who described her as "anything but the norm."

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Photos:Girls in STEM

Zoe the Robotics enthusiast – Grandmother Janie Lambert, from Maryland, is proud of the fact that Zoe does not let anything -- including her Juvenile Diabetes -- hold her back from her dreams: "Always interested in science and technology [but] knowing she would never be allowed to be an astronaut with diabetes, she became interested in Aeronautic and Mechanical Engineering," says Lambert.

"At school she spends most of the day in technical and mechanical courses preparing her for starting college next fall. She is actively involved in the after school Robotics Team called RoboBees and she is the Team Captain for First Tech Challenge." Zoe is pictured here in 2010 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee at 14 years old.

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Zoe the Robotics enthusiast – "Zoe breaks the norm for most senior girls in high school," added Lambert. "Instead of playing dolls as a child she preferred hanging out with the boys and building cardboard box spaceships." Zoe, who lost her father at nine years old, is pictured here at the National Flight Academy in August 2014.

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Girls in STEM – Monique Wingard received a full scholarship of nearly $5000 to Startup Institute Chicago this month. Back when she was just nine, her mother Julia captured this moment at a school science fair. Monique says participating in the fair was a turning point: "[The fair] helped build confidence in myself, my ideas, creative approach to problem-solving, and speaking in front of small groups about a topic of importance to me."

"It was just really exciting to attempt to get other people just as pumped as I was about my work on 'Sound Investigating Pitch.' My love for music is what prompted me to choose this topic for the science fair. Just looking at this photo now makes me beam with pride. I was a nerd before it was even cool, and now I can make a pretty good living being one and teaching others to wear that title as a badge of honor."

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Three generations of Women in STEM – When Heather's mother took this picture of her at a science fair in 1991, she had no idea that Heather would grow up to become a NASA intern and that they would write two science books together. "When I was in middle school, my science research teacher took me under his wing and encouraged my research ambitions," says Heather Reis Tomasello from Florida.

"This small investment of his time and encouragement multiplied exponentially, as I went on to internships at NASA and a large community hospital. I also competed at the international science fair, and paid for half of my college education with scholarships resulting from my science fair awards."

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Three generations of Women in STEM – "My mom always encouraged me to take the advanced math, to pursue the next biology or chemistry class," says Tomasello whose mother is a home health nurse. "For Christmas, she gave me a subscription to Discover Magazine and Science News. She became my role model, and now I try to duplicate that with my own daughter."

Tomasello's daughter Catie is pictured here, age six, with popular TV scientist Bill Nye. "As a kindergartner, Catie competed in the NSTA/Toshiba Exploravision competition and won 2nd place. She has since competed three additional years in this competition, winning 2nd place in the nation three times."

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Three generations of Women in STEM – Tomasello and her daughter Catie stand in front of her display at the 2014 Exploravision awards weekend. "Catie and her teammates have blown me away with their creativity and desire to use science and technology to help others, and to make the world a better place. Their projects have included an innovative medical device for people with allergies, clean energy for homes and communities, and environmentally friendly methods to desalinate water."

"A 'proud mom' moment came this summer when Catie explained her team's winning idea, the WateRenew, to a room of over 200 at the National Press Club, packed with corporate officials from Toshiba, including the CEO, educators, scientists, and members of the press. The scientist who created the Wave Wing prototype offered Catie and her teammates each a job upon college graduation with a degree in a science field. Catie is in sixth grade now, but she already has a job waiting for her!"

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Husseina the coder – "Hello world, my name is Husseina Issaka and I am learning to code." Issaka lives in Nima, an urban slum in Accra, she comes from a poor background with a single mother who tries her best to take care of her children. In her community they face social problems such as acute poverty, widespread disease, and untimely death. Limited access to education means many are stuck in a cycle of poverty.

Issaka recently found out about Tech Needs Girls which helps teach girls like her to code.

"Now a days when you don't know Information Communication technology, you won't be employed for work," says Issaka. "As Kwegyir Aggrey said in his proverb if you educate a man you educate an individual and if you educate a woman you educate a whole nation. I am excited to be learning to code."

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Tech needs girls – "Females and especially female children have no access to contribute to community development, and it is perceived that the only place they can best perform is in their husband's house and in the kitchen," says Regina Agyare, founder of Soronoko Solutions, the company which started the Tech Needs Girls project.

"They are forced to marry at a tender age. Every female becomes a teacher to her newborn child. If they are denied educational opportunity what kind of people does our community expect to raise? An educated female will give her child first hand skills to allow her to become a responsible person in the community."

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Girls in STEM – 11 year old Issaka is aware of what a life-changing opportunity Tech Needs Girls presents: "I am excited to be taught by mentors who are female role models and computer scientist or engineers. I am excited that I get to make money from the website and mobile applications I will build.

"With that money I can pay my own school fees to continue to get an education. I would also like to build an education mobile app to help other girls in different countries who may not have access to education learn from their mobile phones. Who knows I could one day build a huge software company and be the next Mark Zuckerberg."

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Cell explorers – Girls in a primary school in Galway, Ireland learn from a member of the Cell EXPLORERS, a science education and outreach program based in the School of Natural Sciences in the National University of Ireland. From a pilot project involving 10 of Biochemistry lecturer Muriel Grenon's undergraduate students, the program has successfully grown to 100 volunteers reaching about 3000 members of the public. "Our aim is to promote hands-on discovery of molecular and cellular biology by developing interactive outreach activities," says Grenon. "Such activities include school roadshows and science festival workshops. We aim to inspire and engage young people in biomedical sciences and provide role models of real people studying science."

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We ran five national experiments with these otherwise-identical female and male candidates, systematically varying their personal attributes and lifestyles in a counterbalanced design. Every time we sent a given slate of candidates to a male faculty member, we sent the same slate with sexes reversed to another male faculty member, as well as sending both slates to two female faculty members. Then we compared the faculty members' rankings to see how hirable each candidate was, overall.

What we found shocked us. Women had an overall 2-to-1 advantage in being ranked first for the job in all fields studied. This preference for women was expressed equally by male and female faculty members, with the single exception of male economists, who were gender neutral in their preferences.

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In some conditions, women's advantage reached 4-to-1. When women were compared with men who shared the same lifestyle, advantages accrued to women in all demographic groups—including single or married women without children, married women with preschoolers, and divorced mothers.

To ensure that socially desirable responding was not driving our findings, in one of the five experiments we sent faculty just one candidate to evaluate, rather than a slate of three shortlisted candidates. Even with no frame of reference provided by a comparison with other candidates, women were rated higher and seen as more hirable than identically qualified men.

We interpreted our findings to mean that anti-female bias in academic hiring has ended. Changing cultural values, gender-awareness training and trends such as the retirement of older faculty members have brought us to a time when women in academic science are seen as more desirable hires than equally competent men.

When we looked at the effects of lifestyles on hiring, some traditional values emerged. In a competition between a married father with a stay-at-home spouse and an equivalently qualified divorced mother of two preschoolers, female faculty members preferred 4-to-1 to hire the divorced mother, but men felt the opposite. (Note, however, that both genders preferred a divorced mother when she competed against a divorced father.)

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In another comparison examining the effect of taking a one-year parental leave in graduate school, we found that male faculty members preferred mothers who took lengthy parental leaves, whereas female faculty members did not. Perhaps the men preferred women they perceived as good mothers rather than as stereotypical aggressive careerists. Neither female nor male faculty cared about fathers' parental leaves.

Our results, coupled with actuarial data on real-world academic hiring showing a female advantage, suggest this is a propitious time for women beginning careers in academic science. The low numbers of women in math-based fields of science do not result from sexist hiring, but rather from women's lower rates of choosing to enter math-based fields in the first place, due to sex differences in preferred careers and perhaps to lack of female role models and mentors.

While women may encounter sexism before and during graduate training and after becoming professors, the only sexism they face in the hiring process is bias in their favor.